


Nature's Course

by RedParrot



Series: The Greater Good - Part Two [15]
Category: Original Work
Genre: Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Angst, Hurt/Comfort, Implied/Referenced Self-Harm, M/M, Omega Verse, Pregnancy, Trigger Warning In Notes
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-12
Updated: 2021-02-12
Packaged: 2021-03-12 03:36:01
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 14,946
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29378616
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RedParrot/pseuds/RedParrot
Summary: Sammy has an issue with his pregnancy but was it an accident?The family rally around and two of the children have a lot to learn about family life.
Series: The Greater Good - Part Two [15]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1738087
Comments: 2
Kudos: 10





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Please see endnote for an additional trigger warning which will be a spoiler.

Daniel looked up from the magazine he was flicking through. He watched his pregnant mate wander through the room towards the kitchen. Sammy was holding a couple of glasses and a plate. He yawned as he walked. Sammy was only halfway through his pregnancy, but he was showing signs of what Clive referred to as nesting. The Omega seemed to always be tidying. The house was tidy, but to Sammy, there always seemed to be something out of place.

But what worried Daniel was how tired his mate was. He knew the pregnancy would be a strain on Sammy. The previous pregnancies had taken their toll. But he was more fatigued than before. Although this time there was the extra element of six children to deal with.

Daniel guessed that despite not being the only adult in the house that looked after the children Sammy still took the lion's share of the work. Daniel vowed to have a word with the others. He doubted he was the only one of them to have noticed how tired Sammy was.

The children themselves could be called on to help ease Sammy's work. George helped where he could. Mary, as the oldest child, was already mostly independent, although she did need to be encouraged to do her homework. The two young Alphas were the ones that needed to learn how to contribute. It did not need to be much. Taking their cups and plates back to the kitchen would be a start.

Daniel had to remind himself that the children did not fully understand what was happening to Sammy. They know he was having babies, but they did not understand how the pregnancy affected Sammy. Mary was learning about procreation at school but hers would be a scientific education. The boys were all getting a more basic sex education, where the need to have babies was more important than what the Omega went through. George was learning more from Sammy than he would at school. The young Omega was fascinated by the pregnancy. 

The two youngest children, Rachel and Isabelle, were not much more than toddlers still. The twins were both walking and starting to say words. But they were still dependent on the adults. Daniel vowed to take on as much of the parenting of their children as he could so that Sammy could concentrate on their second set of twins.

Daniel still could not believe how lucky he was to soon be a father again. The years of ever-increasing pressure to have children had all been wiped away when Sammy had become pregnant with their daughters nearly two and a half years before. 

Sammy wandered back into the sitting room with two mugs. He handed one to Daniel before easing himself onto the sofa next to him. Daniel put his arm around his mate and pulled him a bit closer. Sammy leaned into him.

‘You’re doing too much,’ said Daniel. ‘Tell the boys to tidy up after themselves. They’re old enough.’

Sammy chuckled, ‘they were busy with their building. I think there was a competition to see who could build the taller tower.’

Daniel smiled, ‘well, I suppose that’s different. But you still need to think about yourself and the babies.’

Sammy rubbed his free hand over his growing bump and sighed.

‘It is harder this time,’ he admitted. ‘I feel tired, but I’m sure it will pass.’

Daniel shook his head before taking a sip of his coffee. 

‘I hope you’re not going to keep Graham too late today. He’s supposed to be meeting Callum this evening.’

Daniel furrowed his brow. He knew Graham and Callum shared a unique bond after the young Alpha had helped the young Omega through his first heat, but he could not understand why they would be meeting up.

‘They’re seeing each other,’ said Sammy who had spotted Daniel’s confusion.

‘They’re “seeing” each other?’ asked Daniel with a lack of understanding. 

Sammy nodded with a smile, ‘I think it’s sweet.’

‘Seeing each other like women do… dating?’

Daniel twisted a little to look at Sammy.

Sammy sighed, ‘yes, Danny. They are “going out together” in the same way women do and the same way everyone used to before nature changed it all.’

‘But what happens when they get put with families when they have to go to a pack?’

The Omega shrugged, ‘maybe that won’t happen. Meg said there are talks - in the early stages - that might lead to younger males being able to form their own families. The government would have to approve the matches and there would be a need for some of the younger males to still go to established families… but it’s coming. It’s changing.’

Daniel knew there was talk of changing the ways the families were put together, but he could not believe it would happen soon enough for Graham and Callum. Both the males were sixteen, they would be due to be placed with families when they turned eighteen. 

Sammy had gone back to cradling his unborn babies, ‘just think what it will be like for these two. How different it will be.’

‘Do you want to know the sexes, when we go for the next scan?’ asked Daniel. ‘Clive was saying that before the leap, when the women carried the babies, sometimes the parents chose not to find out so that they could be surprised.’

Sammy thought for a moment, ‘I hadn’t thought about it,’ he said. ‘I don’t think it matters either way. They might not be able to tell the sex anyway. They struggled with the twins.’

Daniel only had vague memories of the trips to the sonographer when Sammy had been pregnant with Rachel and Isabelle. He had been so nervous and happy about it all he struggled to take anything in for the whole six months. 

‘What would you like?’ asked Sammy. ‘Boys or girls?’

Daniel hesitated, knowing he did not want to say anything that might leave Sammy worrying. If he expressed a wish for one sex or another Sammy might feel he had let him down if the babies were not what he wanted. 

His perceptive Omega sensed the issue, ‘I think, you would like boys. I think you would like at least one Alpha. You’d like an Alpha to take after you.’

Daniel looked away, unable to hide the embarrassment, Sammy had read his mind.

‘You’ll get what you get,’ Sammy reassured him, ‘I can’t change the outcome.’

The Alpha looked back at his mate with a smile, ‘you’re right, I would like a son. I’d like an Alpha son. But I’ve already spotted Isabelle putting her toy bricks on top of each other and she always looks annoyed when Rachel knocks them down.’

‘So, you could already have your master carpenter? I wonder what these two will be then?’

Daniel put his mug down and covered Sammy’s hand with his, interlacing their fingers.

‘They will be our children,’ he said. ‘And that is all we need to worry about for now. We’ll have plenty of time to worry about what their lives will be like as they get older.’

A~B~O

Jamie stood back from the lathe and watched as Graham manoeuvred the chair leg into position. Their apprentice was picking up the nuances of the work with ease. He rarely made mistakes and, when he did, he did not take it to heart. He saw the mistake as a learning opportunity. Jamie did not need to supervise the work, he glanced across at the chest of drawers Daniel had completed. The piece only needed the handles added before it would be ready. Jamie chuckled to himself as he wandered across and picked up the first handle. The task that would probably be left to an apprentice in a large carpenter’s workshop was his. But Jamie did not mind, watching Graham’s confidence grow with each turn of the lathe was rewarding enough. 

He realised as he searched for the right screwdriver, that he was doing the same thing that Daniel had done when he had started working for him. Jamie had lacked confidence, but Daniel had patiently helped him to accept that he was not as useless as he thought he was. They were both making decisions now, and although Daniel was the owner of the business, he saw them both as equal partners. And at the rate, Graham was picking up the work they would soon be sharing that role with him as well. 

‘How’s that?’ asked Graham as the lathe wound down and he undid the vice holding the table leg. 

‘Compare it to the one you did first,’ said Jamie as he started to fit the second handle.

When Graham did not say anything for a few seconds Jamie looked up. The younger Alpha was looking at the two chair legs critically. 

‘If you’re not happy with one of them, do something about it,’ he said. ‘Can the one you’re not happy about be fixed?’

Graham, his expression one of concentration, nodded. Jamie could almost see the thought turning in his mind.

‘I think-’

‘Don’t think,’ interrupted Jamie, ‘know.’

Graham smiled and nodded, ‘I know,’ he corrected himself, ‘that the difference between them is so small people won’t notice it… but I’ll know it’s there… I’ll see if I can get them the same.’

‘That’s the attitude,’ said Jamie. ‘I’ll just be here, fitting handles.’

Graham laughed, ‘I was getting around to that,’ he said. ‘But I want these to look good.’

Jamie chuckled as he continued with his task.

'Where are you and Callum going tonight?'

He noticed a flush of embarrassment on Graham's cheeks. The Alpha found it difficult to talk about his relationship with Callum. The pair had plucked up the courage to ask their respective parents if it was alright for them to see each other again. Both Michael and Stephen had given their blessing but made sure they understood it might not be allowed to last. The authorities could put a stop to it when they reached eighteen.

'Meg suggested we go to the cinema. There's a new film in the Delta Space Force series out.'

'That's had good reviews,' said Jamie. 'Clive and I intend to see it next week.'

'I don't know if Callum likes Science Fiction. I hope he does.'

Jamie smiled, 'if he doesn't you could let him pick next time.'

Graham went back to his work for a few minutes. Jamie was tightening the screws on the last drawer handle when the young man spoke again.

'If we were allowed to stay together, we'd have to have another Alpha to form a pack. What if I don't want to share Callum with anyone?'

Jamie smiled sadly, 'you'll have to learn. Adult Omega are required by law to mate with a rutting Alpha each time they go into heat. And you'll only rut once a year.'

'Is it weird, watching Sammy go off with Daniel?'

Jamie thought for a moment, 'I do feel jealous. I'd rather keep Sammy to myself. But I know it's for the best that Sammy tries to get pregnant whilst he's still fertile.'

'I suppose it's just the way we live. I suppose I will have to get used to it,' said Graham.

'I think it's strange for Daniel. His chosen mate can't be with him when he goes into rut now. He loves Sammy, but it's Liam he wants to be with.'

Graham looked away. Jamie realised what he had said.

'Sorry, I keep forgetting. We're all so at ease talking about heats and ruts. You're the next generation. You're a product of one of those heats.'

'I understand it all a bit more now,' said Graham. 'Helping Callum was amazing. I felt privileged. Although I'm still scared for when I have my first rut.'

Jamie nodded. He well remembered his first time. The confusion and anger and the loneliness. Locked away because he was, for those few hours, stronger than the women at the home. 

'Have you worked out what you'll do?'

Graham smiled, 'I used some of the skills I've learned here,' he said, 'to put a good lock on my bedroom door. Michael is going to lock me in. He doesn't want to surrender me to one of the clinics.'

Jamie nodded. There was still an underlying fear of the children being taken away. He suspected most parents were going through similar worries. Each time he took his sons to school he felt a little apprehensive. He wondered what Sammy would be like when they had to take Henry. 

'You’ll be fine,’ said Jamie. ‘And you can talk to me and Danny if you need to. Neither of us had anyone to ask when we went through it. But you do. I know you won’t want to talk to Michael… but we’re here.’

Graham flushed a deeper red and nodded. 

‘And,’ said Jamie after a moment's thought, ‘when my sons are getting to that age they’ll need someone to talk to and I would imagine they might not want to talk to me or Danny so you can repay the favour.’

Graham grinned and nodded again, fresh confidence in his eyes.

A ~ B ~ O

Sammy felt his head nod again. If he stayed on the sofa for much longer, he knew he would fall asleep. He had flicked the radio on in an attempt to occupy his mind. He knew the twins would need feeding and then there were other chores he wanted to finish. But a few moments of peace were welcome. Daniel had gone to measure something in the cottage. The Alpha had suggested Sammy might like to go with him to the wholesalers. Some time out of the house might revive him a little. The fatigue he was feeling was normal. Sammy was sure he had felt the same during his previous pregnancies.

Or had he?

The more he thought about it the more he doubted himself. Although, the others had pointed out a few times that previously no children were charging around. But he loved having the children there, he would not want it any other way. 

Mary wandered in and settled on the sofa opposite him. She was clutching her tablet and a school textbook. Sammy knew it was a maths book. He sighed inwardly if the subject had been English, he would have offered to help with Mary's homework. His time working at the library had left him with a good knowledge of grammar and books. Maths was not his strong suit. Mary glanced up and smiled.

'Don't worry,' she said. 'I don't need help.'

Sammy chuckled, 'you read my mind.'

'Liam's going to go over it with me when I see him tomorrow.'

Liam was good with figures. Sammy guessed that between them all they were able to help with all the subjects the children learned about at school. He watched Mary settle herself cross-legged on the sofa. She powered up the tablet and tapped at the screen with the stylus. It had taken Mary a while to accept that she had dyslexia. But once Jamie had told her he had the same issue and was secretly copying all the coping practices she was being taught she had embraced it. Jamie encouraged her to teach him the tips and tricks as she learned them. It had been heartening to watch her confidence grow.

They both looked at the radio when the announcer mentioned the nearby seaside village.

'Dolphins have been sighted close to the beach,' the woman said. 'A local expert explained that it is not uncommon for dolphins to be in the area, but this is the closest they have come for several years. They are expected to have moved off by the morning.'

Mary looked at Sammy with an excited look on her face.

Sammy smiled, 'why don't you ask Jamie or Danny to walk you down there?'

Mary grinned and climbed off the sofa, she hurried from the room. 

Sammy wished he could go with them. But the thought of walking, even the one mile to the beach did not fill him with joy. He rubbed his hand over his baby bump. He could feel movements. 

A crash and howls of laughter from the boys made him smile. Not for the first time, Sammy wondered how the dynamics would change for the children. It would not be long before Rachel and Isabelle were old enough to Play with the boys. Sammy hoped that would not cause too many problems. Peter, George, and Henry were a proper little team. George was sometimes left out of the rough and tumble, but Sammy was sure that was the little Omega's choice.

He could hear some excited chatter coming from the playroom. Henry's voice rose above the others a couple of times. The youngest Alpha sometimes felt the need to try to assert dominance. He was almost as tall as Peter, but the age gap was obvious. Where Peter could be reasoned with, Henry would be reduced to a sullen pout. They had learned how to deal with Henry over time.

The noises got louder for a second before the subjects of Sammy's musing appeared in the doorway. Henry pulled a face when he saw that Sammy was stroking his rounded stomach. The little Alpha was still not happy about the impending siblings. It had taken him a while to accept Peter and George, but they were closer in age to him, the newest babies would be four years younger. He would most likely ignore the new arrivals. 

Peter took a step forward, ‘Mary told us about the dolphins. Can we go as well?’

Sammy shrugged, ‘I don’t see why not, but you need someone to go with you.’

‘Mary’s gone to find Danny,’ said George who was still lingering in the doorway. 

Sammy knew Daniel would take the children to the beach. He was not working towards a strict deadline at that moment which meant the children could take priority. Henry was jumping up and down unable to contain his excitement about the adventure he was about to go on. George was glancing back towards the playroom; Sammy could not work out what the little Omega was looking at. 

‘Why don’t you get your walking shoes on and a thin jacket each, it’s cloudy so there might be some rain in a while.’

Henry and Peter nodded enthusiastically before hurrying towards the back hallway where the coats and shoes were kept. George glanced back a second time before following his brothers. Sammy thought he saw a slightly guilty look on the boy's face as he went. Before he had time to wonder what the matter was Mary and Daniel walked into the room. Mary had hold of Daniel’s hand and was practically dragging him towards the kitchen. 

‘How could I refuse?’ he said as he passed. ‘Will you be alright on your own? I’ll let Jamie know we’ve gone dolphin hunting.’

Sammy nodded with a smile, ‘I am sure I will cope,’ he said. ‘Try to get some photos.’

Daniel nodded as he was pulled from the room by Mary. 

Sammy pushed himself up to stand. He was glad Daniel had gone from the room when he stumbled slightly. The dizzy spell passed. It was not the first time he had got up too fast after being relaxed on the sofa. He did not want Daniel to doubt if he should go with the children. His Alpha deserved a chance to do something out of the house. 

He wandered through to the kitchen to find the boys busy tying their laces and Daniel swapping the inappropriate coats they had picked with light rain jackets. 

‘Now, Henry,’ said Daniel. ‘We might not see any dolphins. The sea is very big, and dolphins are good at hiding in it. You mustn’t get upset if we don’t see any.’

‘I won’t,’ said Henry. ‘But we will see some so it doesn’t matter.’

Daniel glanced at Sammy and rolled his eyes. Sammy suspected he and Jamie would be consoling the boy for a while when they returned. Little Henry had never been good at coping with disappointments.

‘Come on George,’ said Mary as she finished zipping her jacket up. 

George was biting his lip acting hesitant again. Sammy was about to ask the little boy what was wrong, but Peter and Henry grabbed his hands and dragged him away. 

Sammy watched them cross to the workshop where the children stopped a few yards away, knowing they were not allowed in the workshop, as Daniel told Jamie and Graham where they were going. Sammy could tell Graham would have liked to go with them, but he did not say anything. Graham was working the Saturday morning to make a bit more money for his trip out with Callum later that day. Sammy wondered what it would be like for the two young men. They were not the first of the newly repatriated Alphas and Omegas to pair up on their own. Some women were actively encouraging it, but the majority did not approve. Sammy hoped Meg would be successful in getting an amendment to the laws around the placement of the young men in families. 

Sammy turned back to the kitchen and started to prepare the toddlers their mid-morning snack. He reached for a banana from the bowl and sighed when he realised there were none there. He knew there would be some in the playroom, they encouraged the children to have a piece of fruit when they felt hungry and had left some within reach of them. 

A couple of the kittens ran past, slipping around table legs and skidding on the smooth floor of the kitchen. Sammy smiled, he would have to remember to tell George he had seen Rainbow and Max. The two male cats had disappeared for a couple of days leaving the little Omega worried. But the kittens were semi-feral and came and went as they pleased. Although they could generally be found in the house whenever the weather got bad. 

He passed the toddlers on his way to the playroom. Isabelle was rubbing her eyes as she woke from her mid-morning nap. Sammy leaned over and spoke soothingly to her for a few seconds. The little girl giggled twisting onto her front and reaching for some of the play bricks that were littering the playpen. When the toddlers had fallen asleep in their playpen Sammy had decided they were safe enough where they were. He could see them from the kitchen and his spot on the sofa when he had sat down for a while. He did not see the point in moving them. As he moved off, he paused to watch Isabelle talking to Rachel. The sisters seemed to understand what they were saying to each other even if it was incomprehensible to everyone else. 

As he reached the playroom Sammy realised why George had been a little hesitant to leave on their trip to the beach. The Lego had not been put away. The remnants of the last tower were scattered across the floor. Sammy shook his head. He decided it was time for him and Jamie and Daniel to have a word with the boys about tidying up. Peter and Henry had a habit of leaving their toys and games out. But George, ever the Omega, would put everything away. Sammy was sure the Alpha’s knew George would put all the toys away and were taking advantage of his natural need to be tidy. 

When the boys returned Sammy was going to tell the two young Alpha’s tidy up and make them understand that they could not rely on others all the time. 

A fresh wave of dizziness caused him to stop walking. He closed his eyes for a few seconds. When he opened them again his vision was blurred. He felt a sharp pain in his side. He reached for his stomach taking a couple of steps forward as he did so.

The last thing he remembered was the feeling of falling and something under his foot. He wondered if he had tripped on something.

A~B~O


	2. Chapter 2

Graham felt the wave of shock and confusion. He looked at Jamie who had already got to his feet and was rushing towards the house. Ever since he had helped Callum through his heat, Graham had found he could understand the scents from the other males more accurately. What had washed over him was a distressed Omega. And there was only one Omega anywhere near them at that moment. 

Sammy. 

And Sammy was almost four months pregnant, well over halfway. 

He flicked the power switch and waited a few seconds to be sure the lathe was stopping. He ran after Jamie who had reached the back door and wrenched it open. There was no polite slipping out of work shoes as they entered the house. Both Alpha’s rushed in, looking around for the source of the pain. 

Graham was sure something had happened to hurt Sammy. The scents and senses that he got from other males sometimes took a while to interpret. Most of the time he could ignore them, they were like background noise, nothing that he needed to worry about. But every so often one sparked forward like a yell and he noticed it. 

He remembered being able to sense when Callum had become a bit distressed during his heat when they were mating. Despite having no experience Graham had known what to do. He hoped that whatever had happened to Sammy could be dealt with by Jamie. That the Omega’s mate would know what to do. 

Jamie rushed through the house calling out to Sammy. There was no reply. Meg appeared from her office with a quizzical look, she followed in their wake.

‘It’s Sammy,’ said Graham by way of explanation. ‘Something's happened to him.’

As he turned away, he saw Meg rush back to her office.

‘Sammy!’

Jamie had reached the playroom and crashed to his knees. Graham skidded to a halt at the dividing wall between the more formal dining room and chaos and colour of the children’s playroom. 

Sammy was lying on the floor on his side. He was not moving. He appeared to be unconscious. Jamie was kneeling close to his mate and calling to him as he stroked Sammy’s cheek. A bruise was blossoming on Sammy’s temple. 

‘What’s happened?’ asked Clive from behind them. ‘Is he…’

Jamie shook his head, ‘he’s alive, he’s breathing… he’s unconscious. Sammy…’

The hint of desperation in Jamie’s voice was heart-breaking. Graham knew Jamie and Daniel had been through the loss of an Omega before. His Omega. Liam had been ill whilst pregnant with Peter and George, he was taken away from the family who was told he had died. A lie that had devastated the family, particularly the two Alphas. Jamie, whose babies Liam was carrying and Daniel because he was the closer Alpha. Graham realised if Sammy died it would be the opposite scenario. The babies he was carrying were Daniels, but Jamie was the closer Alpha. The pair were supposed to grow old together. 

‘Oh…’

Clive had hobbled around to Sammy’s other side. Jamie looked up as Clive gasped. 

‘He’s bleeding.’

Clive pointed at the back of Sammy’s light blue jeans.

‘The babies.’

Graham knew enough about pregnancies to know that bleeding was not a good thing. He had learned about miscarriages. He knew they were rare, but a big shock or traumatic injury was usually the cause. 

‘It looks like he tripped on the Lego box,’ said Graham as he started to push some of the scattered bricks out of the way.

The large plastic box was at an angle a few feet from where Sammy lay. It could have been hidden from Sammy’s view until the last second as he walked through the room.

‘Should I call an ambulance,’ asked Meg as she rushed in, her phone in her hand.

‘Yes. Tell them he’s pregnant and bleeding. He’s, what, three and half months gone?’

Meg was already tapping the phone and walking away as she spoke to the operator. They knew an injured pregnant Omega would take priority over everyone else. 

Jamie straightened Sammy’s limp form. He ran his hands over each arm and leg searching for any other injuries. 

‘Don’t move him about too much,’ said Graham. ‘He might have injuries you can’t see.’

Graham remembered being told what to do with an unconscious person when he did his first aid course as part of his apprenticeship training. Jamie looked up at him for a few seconds before nodding. Graham guessed his friend was not thinking straight. The worry he would be feeling for his bonded mate would be clouding his judgement. 

‘The operator says to keep him warm and not to let him move if he comes around,’ Meg said.

She paused and listened to the operator again for a few seconds nodding her head as she took in what was being said. 

‘He says we should get Danny back. The babies Alpha should be with him… with him in case he doesn’t wake up and can’t answer their questions.’

‘He’s going to wake up,’ said Jamie, a slightly desperate edge to his voice. ‘Sammy… come on…’

Graham was not sure what he should do. He hovered at the edge of the room watching the unfolding drama. He wondered if he should slip away, close the workshop, and go home. A cry from the other room changed his mind. The baby twins were crying.

‘I’ll check on them,’ said Graham.

He waited a few seconds for a reaction. Clive nodded his thanks. Graham retreated from the room. At least he could make himself useful and relieve the family from another worry whilst they tended to their Omega and waited for the ambulance. 

He was glad to get out of the room. The mix of scents and heightened emotion was overwhelming to him. He wondered if he would get used to it over time. When he was with Callum he tuned into his friend's scents and found it calming. But the fear coming from Jamie and Clive, and the obvious anxiety Meg was going through, was horrible. 

Graham went to the playpen. He smiled at the toddlers who were both standing up and peering over the top of the low walls. Isabelle was crying, Graham wondered if they still knew something had happened to their Omega. 

A~B~O

Jamie tried to tune out the other noises. Meg was talking to the operator who was asking questions about Sammy’s health and the pregnancy. Clive was leaving message after message on Daniel’s voice mail.

All Jamie wanted to do was concentrate on Sammy. His mate was showing no signs of coming around. His stillness was unnerving. Jamie stroked the side of Sammy’s face for a few seconds willing the Omega to wake up.

He shifted around to lie behind Sammy, as he would when they mated. He curled his body around the Omega’s small frame, he was careful not to move Sammy any more than he already had. Graham had been right, moving the unconscious Omega was wrong. What if Sammy had hurt his neck or back when he fell?

The question of why Sammy was unconscious was at the front of Jamie’s mind. Had he tripped and knocked himself out on the edge of the nearby bookshelf or had he fainted and knocked the bookshelf on the way down. Either scenario was horrible. And the fact that he was bleeding was an added worry. The babies were potentially in danger. But they were not Jamie’s babies. Jamie struggled with the thought that he was more worried about Sammy than the babies. He hated the way their lives worked. He loved Daniel and Sammy. He did not want anything to happen to their babies. 

But. 

But he cared about his mate more. He cared about Sammy more.

He felt awful for thinking such things.

‘They’re here.’

Jamie did not need to ask who was there. He had been able to hear the siren as it got louder and closer. He was aware of Clive hobbling from the room and voices from the front hall. 

He could not help himself. He squeezed his mate a little closer for a moment knowing he would have to let Sammy go so that the paramedics could do their job.

‘Sir, you need to let us have a look at him,’ said a calm blond-haired man who gently eased him away from the prone form of his mate.

The tall paramedic guided Jamie back a couple of feet. The Alpha looked him in the eyes for a few seconds, perhaps searching for any signs that he might resist and fight them. Jamie knew that paramedics had the authority to sedate combative Alphas for the safety of everyone involved. Jamie was not going to give them a reason to do that to him. He wanted a clear head to help Sammy. 

The Omega paramedic, a man of the same age as Sammy was busy checking all the basic things. 

Jamie was aware of the Omega asking questions and Clive and Meg answering. Jamie could not concentrate on what was going on. He was aware of the Alpha paramedic disappearing for a couple of minutes and returning with a trolley. He watched numbly as they straightened the unconscious Omega and lifted him using special boards onto the trolly and used straps to stop him from moving. 

‘Is the parent Alpha here?’ asked the Omega paramedic. 

Jamie did not hear the response; he knew they had not been able to contact Daniel.

‘Are you bonded?’

Jamie looked blankly at the other Alpha for a few seconds before nodding. 

‘You need to come with us until the parent Alpha can be with him.’

Jamie looked at Meg and Clive who were both standing back, Clive looked pale, Meg had her arm around him.

‘I’ll drive him over when he gets back. I’m sure they won’t be long now,’ said Meg.

The Alpha paramedic nodded his thanks as he kicked off the breaks on the trolley and started to guide it, and Sammy, towards the front door. Jamie followed in their wake. He was aware of something being pushed into his hands, his phone and wallet. 

Meg smiled sadly, ‘you might need them. We’ll be there as soon as we can.’

Jamie did not respond. He followed the paramedics who were doing everything they could to help his mate. He climbed into the back of the ambulance and sat in the chair the Omega pointed at. 

His mind raced through every scenario. He hated them all. 

Sammy was hurt. And he could not do anything to help him. 

The Omega paramedic had attached a monitor to Sammy’s finger, he checked something on a screen before turning to Jamie. Jamie was buffeted a little as the ambulance turned a corner and hit one of the many potholes the country lanes around their home had to offer. 

‘You understand that the babies will be the priority?’ said the Omega. 

Jamie made eye contact with the young man for the first time, tearing his eyes away from his unconscious mate. He nodded. 

‘Sammy’s young which will go in his favour. They will do everything they can to save him, but as he’s already had two pregnancies, and is over halfway through this one, the babies will take priority.’

Jamie nodded again, he sniffed. He realised he was shaking. The paramedic gave him a couple of tissues. 

‘The doctors will probably push you out of the way but remember it’s for Sammy’s benefit. Don’t do anything aggressive or they’ll have you removed.’

Jamie nodded again; he knew his place. Their lives may have been improving but there were still times when the dominance of the female sex was brought to the fore. 

‘But stay close. If Sammy comes around, he’ll need his Alpha with him.’

‘Until Danny gets there,’ muttered Jamie.

‘Is Danny the father?’

Jamie nodded. The paramedic rubbed his arm. Jamie felt the empathy from the Omega. 

‘His readings are all strong and in the right place,’ reassured the Omega. ‘You’ve got a strong mate there.’

Jamie smiled; he knew Sammy was strong. His mate was always there for him when he needed him. Sammy had helped him recover after he was attacked. Sammy had looked after him when he was made redundant. Sammy was just… always there. 

Jamie did not want to contemplate life without him. 

A~B~O

Clive watched Meg close the front door as the ambulance pulled away. The siren was switched back on as it went. The sound startled the crows that were looking for food in the paddock at the front of the house. Clive was pleased there were no horses in the paddock at that moment, the flighty creatures would have been scared by the sudden noise. He was also glad that help had come for his friend so fast. Although he wished that help was not needed. 

He wished that nothing had happened to Sammy. 

But it had, and they had to deal with it. 

‘This is like when Liam was taken from them,’ said Meg, her voice sounding hollow.

Clive knew what she meant. He had been thinking the same thing. He did not think Daniel could cope with losing another Omega. And Sammy was pregnant with his babies. Clive knew Daniel had come close to self-harming when Liam had died. Their big strong Alpha had a vulnerable side. The Alpha was supposed to protect his Omega. But some things were beyond what protection the Alpha could give. 

‘I’ll try Danny again,’ Clive said, raising his phone to look at the screen.

He hit the redial button and waited. It rang and rang. He allowed it to ring out. He did not leave another message. There was no point. 

‘We’ll need to keep him calm,’ said Meg. 

‘Not sure I’ll be any good with an aggressive worked up Alpha,’ replied Clive. ‘He could push me over, even more so now. I can barely balance on my own.’

He pointed at his leg. Meg smiled and stepped closer to him. She put her arms around him and held him for a few seconds. He embraced her back.

‘Do they need feeding?’

They both looked around as Graham spoke. He was holding Rachel’s hand. The toddler was looking up at the adults, her eyes wide. They could hear Isabelle babbling from the other room.

‘Sorry, Graham,’ said Clive, ‘I’d forgotten about them…’

Meg stepped forward and rested her hand on the young Alpha’s shoulder, ‘thank you,’ she said. ‘Can you shut up the workshop? You know how Danny likes everything put away and turned off at the end of the day. He’s not going to be in any state to sort it out when he finds out what’s happened.’

Graham nodded; he went to say something but hesitated. Meg indicated for him to say whatever it was. 

‘I was just thinking. I heard what you said about Danny, perhaps being a bit… emotional when he finds out about Sammy. I’ll help if I can.’

Clive smiled, ‘we’ll probably need it. He won’t be able to think straight.’

Excited voices cut through the thick emotions like a knife. Danny and the children were back. 

Henry was the first to rush in. His cheeks were rosy where he had been running.

‘We saw them. We saw them. There were hundreds,’ he said, unable to keep the excitement from his voice. ‘They were swimming in and out and up and down. They were shiny.’

He circled around and through the four of them, skirting around the toddler who laughed at his antics. 

‘There weren’t hundreds, Henry,’ said Mary as she walked into the room with a roll of her eyes and a sarcastic slant to her words. 

‘Well, I saw hundreds,’ said Henry decisively. 

‘Where’s Danny?’ asked Meg.

Mary sensed the seriousness in the question and looked towards the utility room.

‘Mary,’ said Clive quietly, ‘something has happened that the grown-ups need to deal with. Can you be a grown-up and keep the boys out of the way for a few minutes. I’ll explain it all to you, but we need to talk to Danny first.’

Mary nodded, she reached out for Henry’s hand. The little Alpha stared up at Clive, even he sensed that whatever was going on was serious. 

‘Where’s Sammy?’ he asked.

Clive knew that Henry would want his Omega near him if something bad was happening.

Daniel walked out of the utility room, clutching an armful of the children’s coats. He was grinning. 

‘If they turn up again, we’ll all have to go. It was lovely watching them… What’s happened?’

His smile faltered as he sensed the anxiety in the room. He looked from one of them to the other. He watched as Mary walked Henry and Rachel towards the kitchen. Peter and George appeared at the door and were shepherded out of the way at the same time. 

‘Sammy’s had a fall,’ said Meg. 

‘What? Where is he?’

Daniel took a couple of steps forward looking around for his pregnant mate. 

‘They’ve gone to A and E,’ said Clive. ‘Jamie went with him. He’s unconscious.’

‘Why didn’t you call me?’ said Daniel, who was starting to breathe quickly. 

Clive took an unconscious step back, the intimidation he felt from Alpha’s clouding his mind. He was still struggling to recover from his time on remand, surrounded by Alpha’s who wanted him for sex. He knew that was not why Daniel was becoming aggressive. Daniel was worried about Sammy and his unborn babies. Clive was pleased when Meg and Graham stepped closer. 

‘Danny. You need to be calm.’

‘How did he fall? What about the babies?’

‘We think he tripped over one of the toy boxes. It was an accident… but he was bleeding. And he was still unconscious when they took him.’

‘I need to go to him…’

Daniel walked through to the kitchen. They followed him. Mary had got all the children sitting at the table. They were watching, wide-eyed and not a little fear. Daniel was usually a calm, quiet Alpha. But at that moment he was acting in a manner they had never seen before. 

‘Danny,’ said Meg firmly, ‘you are not driving in that state. I’ll drive you.’

‘Fuck off,’ said Daniel tersely as Meg reached out to stop him from picking up the car keys. 

Meg grabbed him and spun him around, he pushed her back a step and went for the keys again. Clive was about to step forward to try to help but Graham beat him to it. Between them, Meg and Graham forcibly pushed Daniel against the wall by the door to the back hall. Clive could tell it took a lot of effort to keep him there. 

‘Danny,’ said Clive. ‘Listen to us. You cannot drive whilst you’re worked up. You’ll be no good to Sammy or your babies if you crash on the way there. Calm down. Meg is going to drive you.’

Daniel remained tense for several seconds as he glared at Clive. Then he wilted and relaxed. Meg and Graham sensibly waited a few seconds before releasing him.

‘Sorry,’ he said. 

Meg patted his arm before picking up the car keys, she glanced at Graham who nodded and walked ahead of them to the car. Daniel may have calmed down at that moment but if he got aggressive again Graham’s help might be needed on the journey to the hospital. 

Clive watched them go. He heard the car doors open and close and the engine come to life before the crunch of gravel signified the car moving off. He sighed and turned to the children who were all looking at him with pale faces. Henry and George were crying. 

He was not sure what to say or do. Mary slipped off the chair she was sitting on and walked a little closer to him. 

‘Shall I make some sandwiches,’ she said. ‘I can do some ham and cheese ones. If you can reach the cheese down?’

Clive nodded and managed a smile. The two of them shared a special bond ever since the attack on them and Jamie. Mary was the one that had saved Clive from a life in prison, or worse. Mary, although still not quite ten-years-old, showed a maturity beyond her years. He could not help being proud of her for looking after the children during the few minutes they were dealing with Daniel.

He checked that Isabelle and Rachel had been strapped into the highchairs correctly. 

‘Just give the girls some biscuits and fruit,’ said Clive. ‘We can sort a proper meal out for everyone in a little while… Where’s George?’

He looked around the room. Peter pointed towards the sitting room.

Clive walked through the sitting room after finding no sign of the little Omega. He walked to the front hall and looked through the dining room to the playroom. He could not see George but suspected that was where he would find the little boy. 

George was knelt in the middle of the room. He was pulling the scattered bits of Lego towards him and picking up handfuls to put back into the toy box. His little body was shuddering as he sobbed.

‘George?’

The crying boy looked up, ‘I'm sorry,’ he sobbed. 

‘What for?’

Clive eased himself to the floor next to George who continued to put the Lego away.

‘I didn’t tidy up. I didn’t put the box back. It’s my fault Sammy tripped over… What if he dies? What about the babies? I didn’t mean to. I wanted to tidy up. But I wanted to see the dolphins as well. I’m sorry. I’m sorry.’

Clive leaned forward and pulled the confused boy into a hug. George clung to him sobbing into his shoulder. 

‘No,’ said Clive as he rocked the crying boy in his arms. ‘It was an accident. It’s not your fault.’

‘I should have tidied up.’

Clive did not know what to say. There was every possibility that Sammy had tripped over the toy box. But poor little George was not responsible. Clive was not sure how he could make him understand that though. 

A~B~O


	3. Chapter 3

Meg and Graham followed Daniel as he ran towards the reception desk of the hospital. The Omega behind the desk glanced at the security guard who took a step forward, her hand resting on her taser. 

‘Samuel Wade,’ said Daniel. ‘He’s my mate. He’s been brought here.’

The receptionist looked at the security guard again and nodded. The woman stepped back but did not look away.

‘One moment,’ said the receptionist, as he tapped at a keyboard.

He looked at the computer monitor and nodded to himself, before pressing a button on his headset. 

‘Nurse Tipping to reception, please. Mr Waterman is here for Mr Wade.’

The receptionist looked up at Daniel.

‘The head nurse is coming. He’ll take you to your mate.’

Daniel nodded and stepped away from the reception desk. He looked at Meg and Graham. 

‘We’ll get through this,’ said Meg, she knew there was nothing she could say that would make Daniel feel any better.

‘Mr Waterman?’

They turned towards the Omega who had spoken. The nurse, in his forties, was wearing the dark blue uniform of a senior emergency nurse. Meg remembered the man from when she had been there with Clive when he broke his leg. 

Daniel walked towards the nurse who turned back the way he had come. 

‘We’ve got Samuel in the triage room. He’s in good hands. Jamie is keeping an eye on him for you at the moment… Samuel’s not come around yet.’

‘What about the babies?’

The nurse paused before answering, his words sounded guarded, ‘we don’t know yet. The consultant is still running tests.’

They reached the triage area, a wide-open area filled with machines. There were several medical staff around the bed. Meg and Clive moved to stand as far out of the way as they could. 

Sammy looked small and vulnerable laying on the bed at the centre of the room. Jamie was standing as close as he could, his hand on his mate's shoulder. One of the nurses got his attention and indicated that he should step back. It was a reluctant move, but he allowed Daniel to take his place. The two Alpha’s exchanged a look of worry. Jamie backed away, blinking and shaking as he did so. Clive reached out and caught his friend's hand, pulling him closer to their corner of the room. Meg looked at him trying to find an answer to all the questions she had. 

‘I don’t know,’ said Jamie, his voice shaking with emotion. ‘They’ve not said much to me. It’s all medical stuff I don’t understand… But they’re worried about him… or the babies… or both. But they're worried.’

It was difficult to tell what was going on. Sammy was stripped of his clothes and moved about so that he could be examined. Meg guessed they had discounted any neck or back injuries by the way they were moving the unconscious Omega around. Meg looked away, she felt as though she was intruding as one of the doctors performed an intimate examination on Sammy. She knew there was no time for prudishness or privacy, not when lives were at stake. A portable sonography machine was wheeled up to the bed. Meg remembered the machine from Sammy’s first pregnancy when she had taken him to his first scan. She remembered the then fresh-faced Omega being upset thinking he had done something wrong when they found out he was only carrying one baby. 

The consultant and the sonographer looked at the screen as the probe was moved across Sammy’s rounded stomach. Meg tried to read their reaction but could not work out what they were seeing.

Daniel was leaning over his mate and talking quietly to him. Meg could imagine the things he would be saying. 

The consultant got Daniel’s attention and spoke to him. The conversation went on for several minutes. Daniel paled and nodded a few times. He did not ask any questions. He glanced at the three of them in the corner of the room for a second before looking back at the consultant and saying something. The woman nodded before reaching forward and squeezing Daniel’s arm in a move that betrayed compassion on her part, a trait lacking in many women. 

She straightened up and said something to the senior nurse before walking across to them. 

‘Daniel asked me to speak to you,’ said the doctor whose name badge labelled her as Doctor Catherine Davies, the senior registrar.

‘Is Sammy OK?’ asked Jamie, unable to contain himself.

The doctor nodded, ‘we believe he will come around with no ill effects. There’s nothing to indicate otherwise… but at the moment the babies are taking priority.’

She glanced at Jamie.

‘I understand it’s difficult for you. But that is the rule.’

Jamie nodded and looked back towards his mate. 

‘The problem is the babies are distressed… One has a very weak heart rate… I am sorry but it is likely the baby will die. I believe,’ Doctor Davies said cautiously, ‘the baby was dying anyway. The reason Samuel collapsed may have been as a result of that rather than a fall.’

‘Can you save the baby?’ asked Clive who had slipped his arm around Jamie to offer him support. 

The doctor shook her head, ‘no. We will monitor the baby but there is nothing we can do. And we have to think about the other baby… and Samuel. He is still bleeding. I’ll be blunt… When - not if - the weak baby dies, we are going to operate on Samuel to remove it. It’s harsh but will need to be done. Doing so should ensure the safety of the other baby and Samuel.’

Meg looked at Sammy, the Omega was oblivious to what was going on around him. She tried to imagine what it would be like for him when he woke up. The feeling of loss he would experience. Daniel was still leaning over his mate whispering to him. The Alpha was not bothering to hide how upset he was. 

‘Daniel has given consent for the operation to happen. We’ll take Samuel to a ward on the first floor and monitor the baby from there. I don’t think it will be long before we can operate.’

The doctor sighed. Meg could tell she did not like having to give them the bad news and that she was doing her job as ethically as she could.

‘They are going to need a lot of support,’ Doctor Davies said with a glance towards Sammy and Daniel. ‘Samuel may struggle to accept what has happened and I suspect Daniel will blame himself. But what is happening is most likely unavoidable. It is nature and nature is cruel.’

A~B~O

_The following day... ___

__Daniel stared out of the window. The view from the third-floor room was not unpleasant. An old church spire and the ruins of the old city walls might have been interesting to look at. But Daniel was not looking at them with interest. He was only looking out of the window because he could not remain sat by his mate indefinitely._ _

__Daniel never wanted to think about the minutes before Sammy had been taken to the theatre the previous afternoon. A nurse had remained with them, monitoring the dying baby. Daniel had sat with his unconscious mate holding his hand. He had not bothered to hide his tears._ _

__The nurse had sighed sadly and apologetically told them it was time to take Sammy for his operation. Jamie had guided Daniel away from their mate as two nurses prepared to move Sammy. Daniel had taken a couple of steps forward, but Jamie had moved him back. As the doors swung shut and Sammy was gone, the two Alphas had grabbed hold of each other for support._ _

__Now it was a whole new day. The nurse that was monitoring Sammy told him the Omega was starting to come around but that it would take a while. Daniel spent some minutes watching Sammy before realising that he was imagining little movements on his mate’s face. So, he moved to the window instead._ _

__Sammy would be weak, and no doubt confused when he came around. And Daniel would have to break his mate's heart. He would have to tell Sammy that one of his babies had died. Daniel did not want to tell him._ _

__He did not want it to be real._ _

__He had told Jamie and Meg to go home. Jamie needed to be with the children. Clive had said all the children were upset. Particularly Henry and George. Jamie needed to be with his children. Whilst Daniel mourned the loss of a child he would never meet and helped his mate through the same grief._ _

__Once they were sure Sammy would wake up Jamie had calmed down considerably. They still did not know if the knock to the head would have any kind of effect on Sammy but the doctors were confident he would be fine. There would probably be a little memory loss but otherwise, he would be fine._ _

__Except he would not be fine. He would have to be told he was no longer carrying two babies._ _

__The one small consolation was that the surviving twin was healthy. The doctors said the surviving twin would develop normally and Sammy would be able to give birth naturally._ _

__But that consolation was small._ _

__Tiny._ _

__Daniel watched a couple of seagulls soaring high above the spire of the old church, buffeted by unseen air currents. His thoughts continued to spiral along with the birds._ _

__Sammy moved slightly. Daniel refocused on his mate. His little Omega was coming around. His eyes were fluttering open. Daniel went back to his seat and took his mate's hand, clutching it tightly, willing some of his strength to be passed to Sammy._ _

__‘Hey,’ said Sammy, his voice croaky._ _

__He smiled for a moment before wincing._ _

__‘You’ve hit your head,’ said Daniel, trying to keep his tone even. ‘You’re in hospital. You need to keep calm.’_ _

__Sammy looked at him for a few seconds before his brow furrowed and he looked into the middle distance. Daniel looked at the heart rate monitor which had changed from its steady beep to a slightly erratic beat._ _

__‘I don’t remember,’ said Sammy._ _

__‘That’s OK. The doctor said you probably wouldn’t.’_ _

__He leaned forward and pressed the ‘call’ button to summon the nurse. Sammy watched him, his eyes blinking._ _

__‘Why did I fall?’_ _

__‘You fainted,’ replied Daniel, as he rubbed his thumb across the back of Sammy’s hand._ _

__Daniel could hear the nurse walking along the corridor. The footsteps stopped as he paused to talk to someone else._ _

__The beep of the heart rate monitor increased again. Sammy looked around for a few seconds before his free hand moved to rest on his rounded stomach._ _

__‘The babies?’_ _

__Sammy looked at Daniel, his eyes searching for an answer from his mate. Daniel tried to school his expression. He knew he had failed. Sammy gasped._ _

__‘What’s happened to my babies?’_ _

__The confused Omega tried to push the blankets off. Daniel grabbed his hands and held him still._ _

__‘Sammy. Listen to me. You need to calm down.’_ _

__‘Have my babies gone?’_ _

__Daniel was about to shake his head but stopped himself. He did not want to give Sammy mixed messages._ _

__The nurse appeared on the other side of the bed. He looked at the heart rate monitor and reached up to the drip that was feeding something into Sammy’s arm._ _

__‘Have you told him?’ asked the nurse quietly._ _

__Not quietly enough._ _

__‘Told me what?’ asked Sammy, his voice becoming frantic. ‘What’s happened? Tell me.’_ _

__‘Sammy, calm down,’ Daniel said, between sniffs as he tried not to cry, the distress his mate was in was too much for him._ _

__Sammy took a couple of gasped breaths before mumbling a few times. His eyes closed and his body went limp. Daniel looked at the nurse._ _

__‘It’s OK. I’ve sedated him. He should be calmer next time. At least we know the knock to the head has not affected him.’_ _

__Daniel nodded, ‘sorry, I didn’t know how to tell him.’_ _

__The nurse smiled sadly, ‘there’s no right way to tell him. I’ll stay close by. He might respond better if he sees me as well. The uniform, it sometimes helps to keep people calm.’_ _

__The nurse walked around the bed and straightened the blankets before squeezing Daniel’s shoulder._ _

__They did not have to wait long for Sammy to come around again. His eyes opened fully, and he focused on the ceiling above him. Daniel watched him for a few seconds. Tears started to fall from his mate’s eyes. Sammy looked at him._ _

__‘Did I lose them?’ he asked. ‘Are our babies gone? I’m sorry.’_ _

__‘Sammy,’ said the nurse, ‘you lost one of your babies. The baby died and we had to operate on you to take it away so that the other baby, and you, could live. You still have a baby to look after.’_ _

__Sammy stared at the nurse for several seconds. A small smile spread across his face before it changed to a grimace and a sob. Daniel leaned forward and pulled Sammy towards him. Sammy grabbed hold of him, clinging tightly as he cried. Daniel was aware of the nurse stepping back a few paces but staying nearby._ _

__‘What did I do wrong?’_ _

__‘Shh… Sammy you did nothing wrong,’ soothed Daniel. ‘The baby was… the baby was not forming… not growing. It wouldn’t have survived.’_ _

__Sammy was shuddering as he took long gasped breaths in between his sobs. Daniel held him close. He did not try to stop his own tears. He knew he could try to bottle the grief up and channel all his energy into helping Sammy. But what good would that do? He would still have to deal with it at some point. He had bottled up emotions before and it had nearly been the undoing of him. He remembered the pile of pills he had created when he thought Liam was dead. Daniel was determined he would not let that happen again. They would grieve together._ _

__He became aware of Sammy reaching up to his face and wiping the tears from his cheek. They looked at each other for several seconds. Sammy was still sobbing, but his breathing had settled, and the heart rate monitor had returned to a steadier beat._ _

__‘Am I ill?’_ _

__Daniel was not sure what to say. The nurse stepped forward._ _

__‘No, Sammy. You’re not ill. Sometimes the fetus does not develop correctly. Sometimes there isn’t an easy answer to why. You have to understand that you did not do this. You are not at fault. But… that also does not mean you shouldn’t feel sad.’_ _

__Sammy rested his hand on his stomach and looked down, ‘I could feel movements. Was it only the healthy one?’_ _

__The nurse shook his head, ‘we’ll never know. The baby that died would have been able to move. It developed normally for a bit.’_ _

__‘Can I see my baby?’_ _

__Sammy looked at the nurse, his expression serious. Daniel had not considered that they might be able to see the miscarried baby. He was not sure if he wanted to see it. He knew the baby would look like a baby, but not quite finished. And he also knew it had not developed correctly. How would seeing the baby help?_ _

__The nurse pulled out his electronic tablet and tapped at the screen a few times before smiling._ _

__‘We can arrange a viewing if that’s what you’d like,’ the nurse looked at Daniel. ‘Some parents find it helps them to grieve. To know that the baby is really gone… But you shouldn’t feel pressured. I am sure someone else can be with Sammy if you don’t want to.’_ _

__Sammy looked at him, ‘Danny, you don’t have to. But I want to… no, I need to. This morning I was carrying two babies and now I only have one. I was unconscious. I guess you had to give consent for us both.’_ _

__Daniel nodded with another sniff; he could feel the tears welling up again. Remembering looking at his unconscious, oblivious, mate and knowing he had to speak for both of them. The giving of consent was only a formality. The doctors were going to do what they had to regardless, but it meant he could remain close to his mate and would not be banished from the hospital._ _

__Daniel knew he wanted to stay with his mate, but he was not sure he wanted to see the baby. He wanted to concentrate on the living baby._ _

__‘It won’t mean you don’t care about the dead twin,’ said Sammy, who had worked out Daniel’s worry. ‘I’ll ask Liam to be with me.’_ _

__Daniel nodded, ‘I just don’t think I can,’ he said._ _

__It was Sammy’s turn to comfort him. His brave little Omega who had been through the most traumatic thing imaginable was comforting him._ _

__‘When do you think Liam would be able to come in?’ asked the nurse. ‘I would imagine the doctors will discharge you later today or tomorrow morning, Sammy. Once they’ve checked you over again and we’re sure the head injury is not going to cause you any more problems it would be better for you to finish your convalescence at home with your family.’_ _

__Daniel pulled out his phone, ‘I’ll call him now. He works in town. I’m sure he could come now if necessary.’_ _

__The nurse nodded, ‘I’ll make some calls. We have a little chapel of rest and you’ll be able to take as long as you need.’_ _

__Sammy was crying again but managed a smile and a nod of thanks._ _

__Daniel stroked his mate’s arm as he made the call. They looked at each other, Sammy smiled sadly. Daniel knew they would get through the grief and loss. They would work through it together even if they grieved in different ways._ _

__A~B~O_ _

__None of them had slept much. Of the three boys, Peter was the least affected. He was reacting to the distress the rest of the family was feeling but other than trying to comfort George had not been involved. Henry was being clingy. He was trying to monopolise Jamie’s time. The little boy was worried about Sammy and could not understand why he had not come home yet._ _

__Meg managed to entice Henry away for a couple of hours to her office. Jamie did not know what the pair were getting up to, but he suspected Meg would have a lot of new drawings for her London office._ _

__The break from one upset son meant Jamie could concentrate on another. George was beside himself. He had not stopped crying, eventually crying himself to sleep the previous night. Now the little Omega was sitting curled up at one end of the sofa. He was staring into the distance. He had not eaten and seemed to have the weight of the world on his shoulders._ _

__The little boy was fully blaming himself for what had happened to Sammy. Jamie had tried to pull his son into an embrace, but George did not relax, remaining curled up. Jamie did not force him, deciding to merely sit beside him and try to explain what had happened._ _

__‘The baby was going to die anyway,’ said Jamie, knowing the words were wrong as he said them. ‘The baby was already poorly. Even if Sammy hadn’t tripped over the toy box he still would have fallen over.’_ _

__‘But he wouldn’t have banged his head. I made it worse.’_ _

__George’s words were whispered. The boy was generally quiet compared to his brothers, but Jamie got the impression he wanted to disappear completely. The compassionate Omega could not accept that he was not the cause of the baby’s death._ _

__Jamie was struggling to explain that the toy box being left out was not what caused the loss._ _

__‘If Sammy had not been a bit poorly before he walked into the playroom,’ said Jamie. ‘He might have seen the box in the way and avoided it.’_ _

__‘He might not. I should have put it away.’_ _

__Jamie stopped himself sighing, he could not let George know the circular conversation was not getting them anywhere. He could not be angry or irritable with the boy. But Jamie did not know what to say. It was not George’s fault, but getting the boy to understand what had happened was impossible._ _

__‘Henry, where are you going?’ Meg’s voice filtered through to the sitting room._ _

__Jamie looked over in time to see an angry-looking Henry marching towards George._ _

__‘You hurt my Omega. You hurt Sammy. He’s not your Omega. You’re Omega doesn’t want you; he doesn’t live here. My Omega lives here. Sammy was hurt because you didn’t tidy up… I HATE YOU.’_ _

__Jamie stared at Henry for a few seconds. The little Alpha was brimming with anger, his face red with rage. Jamie wished he had seen the outburst coming. He knew Henry was upset but did not think he would aim his anger at his brother._ _

__‘Henry,’ said Jamie. ‘That’s mean. You need to say sorry to George-’_ _

__‘Won’t,’ said Henry who folded his arms decisively and made an exaggerated angry frowning face._ _

__‘I’m sorry,’ sobbed George, as fresh tears formed in his eyes._ _

__Henry had made the situation worse. The confused and scared boys were feeding off the scents of the adults and misunderstanding the situation. They were simplifying it to something that they could understand. Jamie felt helpless._ _

__Mary appeared in the doorway, she was holding the box that Henry kept his toy crabs and dinosaurs in._ _

__‘Henry,’ she said. ‘I’ve got some homework about dinosaurs. I wondered if you could tell me about them?’_ _

__Jamie could not help smiling at Mary who had come to his rescue. His little girl was being very mature for her age. Not for the first time, she was coming to the aid of the grown-ups._ _

__Henry, whose attention was generally easy to divert, looked up at Mary._ _

__‘I will arrange them by size and tell you their names,’ he said with authority. ‘I will tell you which once ate grass and plants, and which ones ate the ones that ate the grass and plants.’_ _

__Without a second glance at his distraught brother, Henry walked away. Jamie smiled at Mary who smiled shyly back, not ready to take the praise that Jamie knew he needed to give her._ _

__‘Do you still want me?’_ _

__Jamie looked at George._ _

__‘If Liam doesn’t want me and you don’t want me will I have to go back to the home? What about Peter?’_ _

__Jamie twisted on the sofa to sit facing George, he reached out and took his son's hand._ _

__‘You know why Liam lives in town, and you know that he only has a tiny flat. There’s no room for you to live there. Liam loves you. He comes to see you lots and lots. But he has to go to work so can’t be here all the time. Sammy doesn’t work at the moment, so he can be here all the time.’_ _

__George sniffed a few times and nodded._ _

__‘I didn’t leave the box out so that Sammy would get hurt.’_ _

__‘You didn’t do anything wrong, George. And it’s not only your responsibility to tidy up. This was no one's fault.’_ _

__George did not look convinced._ _

__‘I think they’re back,’ called Clive from the kitchen._ _

__George gasped, he pulled free of Jamie’s hand and climbed off the sofa. He looked out of the window for a few seconds before running from the room. Jamie caught sight of him disappearing through the utility room and out of the back door._ _

__Clive got to the utility room at the same time as Jamie, ‘I’ll keep an eye on him,’ he said. ‘Go and see that Sammy and Danny are OK. It probably would be better not to have Henry and George in the same room to start with. Sammy doesn’t need any additional issues to deal with.’_ _

__Jamie nodded, ‘I don’t know what to say to George to make him understand that it’s not his fault. And Henry just made it worse by getting possessive of Sammy.’_ _

__Clive shook his head, ‘this has been a shock to us all. But we will pull through. Go and see your Omega and I will go and talk to our youngest Omega.’_ _

__Jamie watched Clive as he slowly crossed the garden towards the wild corner where he could see George hiding in the overgrown weeds. Jamie knew he could not deal with everything at once. But at least he knew George would have someone with him whilst he checked on Sammy._ _

__A~B~O_ _


	4. Chapter 4

Jamie was a little unsure of what he should do. He wanted to be with his mate but Daniel was the one that had lost the baby with Sammy. It was Daniel and Sammy that were grieving. Jamie was only concerned about Sammy. Although he was devastated that his friend had lost a baby, Jamie could not help worrying about Sammy. 

He hated the situation. There did not seem to be any right way to deal with it. He watched them both walk in. Daniel had his arm around Sammy protectively. Sammy looked pale; his eyes were puffy where he had been crying. 

The three of them looked at each other for a few seconds. Sammy managed a weak smile. Daniel was the one that worked out what to do. He guided Sammy towards Jamie, who hugged him.

‘You two go and get settled in the sitting room,’ he said. ‘I’ll take Sammy’s bag upstairs and grab a quick shower. Then I’ll get you some food, Sammy. You’ve not eaten properly yet and the doctor said you should try and eat something. Just a snack.’

Jamie nodded to Daniel, ‘thank you,’ he said.

‘He’s going to be fine,’ said Daniel. ‘We’re all going to be fine. It’s horrible and I’m in pieces… but we’ll be fine.’

Sammy looked between his two Alpha’s, ‘I’ll be fine because I’ve got you both to look out for me,’ he said.

Daniel walked off; Jamie heard him sniff a couple of times as he disappeared. His friend was barely holding it together. They all were. The loss was horrible, the thought that Sammy could have died as well made it even worse. And the children were all struggling. Jamie found nothing good about the situation at all. 

‘Do you need anything?’ he asked as they walked through to the sitting room.

Sammy shook his head, ‘just my Alpha’s. Let Danny fuss around in the kitchen. I think the break from me for a few minutes will do him good. And I’m guessing you want some time with me? I know I want some time with you.’

Jamie smiled, he helped his mate to sit on the sofa before joining him and putting his arm around him. Sammy leaned into him, cradling his stomach with both hands. 

‘It’s really hard,’ he said, his voice still thick with emotion. ‘There were two and now there’s only one. Do you think they’re lonely? Can they tell they’ve lost their sibling?’

Jamie thought for a moment, ‘I suppose they were able to give comfort to the dying baby. I don’t know. Do they know what’s going on?’

Sammy sighed, ‘the nurses couldn’t tell what sex the baby was. We sat with the baby for an hour,’ he said.

Jamie knew that Sammy had been to see his baby with Liam before they left the hospital. Daniel had called to update them. Jamie would never forget listening to Daniel breaking down on the phone wondering if he should have gone with Sammy to see the baby. Jamie told him if he was not sure it was probably better not to go so that he was not affecting Sammy with his confusion. Daniel was sure it was the right decision for him not to see the baby. But equally wondered if he had abandoned his mate by not going with him.

‘They were perfect,’ Sammy continued. ‘I can’t call them an ‘it’ just because we don’t know what sex they were. They were my baby. Not an ‘it’.’

Sammy sniffed a few times and shuddered as he suppressed a sob.

‘Tiny little fingers. I couldn’t see what was wrong with them.’

Jamie kissed the top of Sammy’s head and squeezed him closer. 

‘Just a smaller version of a newborn baby…’

One of the kittens padded into the room and jumped up on the sofa. Sammy reached out and stroked the ginger cat’s head. The kitten pushed into Sammy’s hand and started to purr. 

Henry walked in holding his favourite toy. The small soft lion had been his toy as a baby. Sammy had kept hold of the toy when baby Henry was taken by the women. He had not put the toy down for several days afterwards. When they had got Henry back Sammy had given him the lion. Henry said he remembered it but they doubted that was true. 

'You're sad,' announced Henry. 'Lion will look after you.'

He put the toy next to Sammy. The kitten reached out a paw and tapped at it for a couple of seconds. Sammy smiled.

'Thank you, Henry.' 

'Are you better now?'

Jamie shook his head, 'Sammy's still sad. But he's better than he was.'

'I've told George off.'

Jamie sighed. He had not wanted to tell his mate about the issue with the children. Sammy had enough to worry about without angry and upset children causing him problems. 

'Henry,' said Jamie, 'why don't you go back to helping Mary with her homework.'

Henry scowled at Jamie for a second, 'but it was his fault. George should have tidied up. That's his job.'

Sammy pushed himself a little straighter, 'why is it George's job?' he asked.

Jamie detected a little of the normal Sammy in the statement. Normal, calm Sammy. Sammy, who would gently chastise Henry without causing their son to get to upset. Jamie wondered if the distraction was a good thing. There would be plenty of time to grieve. 

Henry was looking around and rocking on his heels. He was trying to find an answer.

'He keeps saying sorry and crying. It must be his fault you fell over.'

Sammy looked at Jamie. Jamie spent a few minutes telling Sammy what had been happening. He had to explain in such a way that would not upset or confuse Henry any further. Sammy nodded his understanding.

'Where's George now?'

'He ran away.'

'Henry, he did not run away,' said Jamie. 'He only went into the garden because he's worried about seeing Sammy.'

'I hate him.'

Sammy looked up at Jamie, 'there's something I've remembered about yesterday that you don’t know.'

Jamie furrowed his brow, he wondered what his mate was going to say. Sammy reached out one arm to Henry who climbed on to the sofa and cuddled into him. Henry may have been an Alpha, but he was also still a little boy who wanted comfort from his parent Omega.

‘Yesterday morning I wasn’t feeling very well. I felt a bit tired,’ started Sammy. ‘When you all went out to see the dolphins, I decided to tidy up a bit. I went into the playroom to see if there were any more bowls or glasses that you boys had left lying around.’

Henry looked a little guilty for a second, ‘but George tidies our plates and things.’

Sammy tilted his head slightly; Henry did not say anything else. 

‘As I was walking across the playroom one of the kittens darted out in front of me. That’s what I fell over. I tripped over one of the cats. Not the toy box.’

Henry’s expression turned to one of shock, ‘but the kittens wouldn’t hurt you. They love you. Look at Beer, he’s helping you get better right now,’ he said. 

The ginger cat’s purring got louder as if to underline its healing powers. Jamie realised what his mate had done. He wondered if Sammy was telling the truth about tripping over one of the cats. 

‘None of them would hurt you deliberately. It was an accident. You’re not going to make them stay outside, are you? It’s not summer anymore. They’ll get cold…’

‘No,’ said Jamie, ‘it was an accident. Why would we make them stay outside if they hadn’t done anything wrong?’

Henry looked visibly relieved. Sammy glanced up at Jamie and managed a wink. Jamie could only feel love for his Omega. Sammy had solved the issue. It did not matter if his fall was caused by one of the cats or not. 

‘Now,’ said Sammy, ‘you know George is not the one that caused me to fall over. Do you think you should say sorry to him for telling him off?’

‘And you shouted at him and said you hated him,’ added Jamie.

Henry’s bottom lip quivered, and his eyes became wet with tears, he nodded. Sammy held him closer and rubbed his back. Jamie could tell Sammy had started to cry again as well. He knew there would be a lot of tears over the next few days.

A~B~O

Clive knew that George had seen him. He was pleased the little Omega did not try to run away again. George knew he was not allowed out of the garden on his own and his inherent need to do the right thing meant he was unlikely to break any of the rules. 

George was sitting on the ground at the back of the wild corner. He was leaning against the brick wall with his knees bent up to make him as small as possible. He was looking at the wall with its rough bricks that were flaking off in places. It took Clive a few moments to work out what exactly George was staring at until he saw the spider move. The garden spider was busy moving back and forth as it spun a web between the wall and the closest weed. The strong looking dandelion was acting as the anchor for the spider's silk. 

George was sniffing, he had wiped his tears away and left smudges of dirt on his cheeks. The normally tidy Omega looked unusually dishevelled. 

‘Is it alright if I sit down?’ asked Clive. ‘My leg is aching a bit.’

George looked at him with concern and nodded, ‘have you done your exercises?’

Clive was pleased to have got a reaction from the little boy. He eased himself to the ground and settled next to the tangle of transplanted weeds and wildflowers that made up the wild corner. 

‘I have been doing my exercises,’ said Clive. ‘I think the change in temperature might have made the ache a bit worse.’

‘You should go in.’

‘Will you come with me?’

George went back to looking at the spider, ‘they don’t want me anymore.’

Clive shook his head, ‘Henry is upset. He didn’t mean what he said. Well, he probably did mean it, but he doesn’t understand what he said.’

George nodded, ‘but they’re angry with me for not tidying up.’

‘No one is angry with you, George. Sammy was already poorly before he fell over. You didn’t make it worse by not tidying up. And you’re not the only one who plays in the playroom. Just because you’re an Omega does not mean you have to do all the work.’

George looked a little confused, ‘but I like to make it tidy.’

Clive smiled, ‘we know you do. But you mustn’t let anyone else, and that includes Henry and Peter, take advantage of you. They should take a turn at tidying up.’

George did not look sure, but he nodded. He went back to looking at the spider. 

‘So, will you come in with me?’ asked Clive.

George sniffed and shook his head, ‘I still made it worse. Sammy wouldn’t have been made to go to sleep if he hadn’t tripped up.’

‘You mean he wouldn’t have been knocked unconscious?’

The Omega nodded. Clive wondered if he could get the little boy to understand what had happened. George was bright and had a good idea of what the differences were between the sexes and what happened during the Omega heats. He could probably understand what happened as a pregnancy progressed. 

‘You know that the baby was going to die anyway,’ said Clive. ‘Nobody caused the baby to die.’

George nodded and began to cry again.

‘Do you remember when Queenie was having the kittens and you helped her?’

George’s expression changed a little as he thought about the feral cat and her kittens. Clive and George had nursed one of the kittens when it was rejected by its mother after she had given birth to a stillborn kitten. Clive could see George making the connection.

‘Sometimes the babies don’t grow correctly,’ said Clive.

‘Like Queenie’s kitten. The one that was already dead when it was born.’

Clive nodded, ‘that was very sad, wasn’t it?’

George nodded, ‘Sammy’s baby was not well, it was too poorly to live. Will the other baby be alright?’

Clive smiled, ‘the doctors think so. We’ll all keep an eye on Sammy, and make sure he doesn’t do any more than he should. Rather like you shouldn’t do all the tidying. We need to make sure Sammy doesn’t do too much for the next couple of months until the baby is born.’

‘Can I keep an eye on Sammy as well?’

‘Yes George, we all can keep an eye on him. And that includes you.’

George bit his lip as he thought through what Clive had told him. 

‘Will Henry still be my friend as well as my brother if I go back in?’

Clive smiled, ‘I think, once he knows that Sammy is alright, and he’s calmed down a bit he’ll realise he was mean to shout at you. He’s younger than you are so sometimes he doesn’t understand everything.’

George nodded in a manner that said he understood that younger children did not know all the things that he knew. Clive hid a smile. He started to ease himself up, finding George beside him ready to help steady him. 

‘Thank you, George,’ he said. ‘Now, let’s go and see how Sammy is. I’m sure he has missed you and wants to see you.’

‘I know you’ve said that it’s not my fault, but I still want to say sorry about not putting the toys away.’

‘If you want to then that’s OK,’ assured Clive.

A~B~O

Sammy continued to hold Henry, rubbing his back as the little Alpha worked through his confusion. Sammy had wiped away his tears a few times. Jamie did not say anything. His mate kept a close hold of both him and Henry. Sammy felt safe and found the distraction of Henry’s tears welcome. He did not like to see his son upset but equally found it endearing that he was upset because of what had happened. Henry did not understand fully what had happened. He probably could not grasp that his unborn half-sibling had died. All Henry was worried about was Sammy.

Daniel walked into the sitting room, his hair still damp from the shower. He looked at the scene in front of him. Sammy managed a smile.

‘Henry got a bit worked up about it all,’ said Jamie quietly. ‘He’s alright now though.’

Daniel’s eyes were red where he had been crying. Sammy could tell he was still in turmoil about not going with him to see their baby in the chapel of rest. He decided that once they had settled all the children he would sit with Daniel and they would talk alone. Now that Sammy was starting to come to terms with the loss, he knew he would be able to talk about it. Poor Daniel had been left to deal with everything whilst he was unconscious. Sammy knew that was not his fault, but he still wanted to be sure his mate was not going to bottle anything up. They were going to grieve, and they were going to grieve together. 

‘Maybe,’ said Daniel, ‘a milky drink would be in order?’

Sammy felt Henry move slightly to look up at Daniel.

‘Can George have one as well?’ he asked, his voice quiet.

Daniel nodded with a sad smile and wandered towards the kitchen. 

The back door opened and closed. Sammy could hear the tap of Clive’s walking stick as he crossed the utility room. The Beta and George appeared in the doorway. George was dusty and his cheeks had muddy marks across them mixed with tears. His hair was mussed up. George was looking at him with trepidation. Clive had his hand on the young Omega’s shoulder.

Henry snuggled closer to Sammy, who guessed he was embarrassed.

‘Are you feeling better?’ asked George tentatively.

Sammy decided he would be honest with the boy, ‘yes. I am better than I was. I have a bit of a headache from where I banged my head. Mostly I just feel very sad that one of my babies died.’

George took a few steps forward.

‘Henry is sorry he shouted at you,’ said Jamie. ‘He was upset.’

George nodded, ‘I’m very sorry I didn’t tidy up. Clive says it’s not my fault, but I still feel bad.’

Sammy smiled, ‘I didn’t trip over the toy box,’ he said. ‘One of the kittens got under my feet. It was an accident.’

He had no idea if what he was saying was true or not. There was something in the back of his mind about a flash of white that could have been one of the cats running away. He would never know for sure what he fell over, but he did know it was only a coincidence that he fell. His baby was going to die regardless. 

Sammy felt fresh tears welling in his eyes. George came closer and reached out a hand to rest on his baby bump.

‘Hello baby,’ George said. ‘You don’t need to feel lonely. I’m your brother and I’ll be your friend.’

Henry looked up, ‘what if the baby is a girl. You can’t be friends with a girl.’

Sammy sniffed and laughed, ‘why not?’

Henry could not come up with an answer so cuddled into him again. 

George moved to sit on the sofa next to Henry. Henry looked at him for a few seconds before reaching out his hand. The two boys held hands.

‘I am sorry I was mean,’ said Henry in his most formal voice.

George smiled, ‘I forgive you,’ he said. 

Sammy had not expected any other response from the little Omega. 

Their family once again united Sammy felt he could fully relax. He knew it would take time and he would not rush himself, but he would recover from the loss of his baby. With the love and support of their family, he and Daniel would be alright.

The End.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you enjoyed it. (Not that it was an enjoyable subject matter).
> 
> I haven't decided on the sex of the baby Sammy is still carrying yet. 
> 
> If, dear reader, you have a preference, please let me know.

**Author's Note:**

> Trigger warning - miscarriage. I hope I have handled it sensitively. There is nothing graphic.


End file.
